Tufting method and apparatus



May 14, 1963 315mm 3,089,442

TUFTING METHOD AND APPARATUS A TTORNE Y May 14, 1963 J. T. SHORT 3,089,442

TUFTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1962 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 2 klv- 7" los w INVENTOR. JoeT. Short ATTORNEY May 14, 1963 .1 -r. SHORT 3,089,442

TUFTING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed May 3, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Joe T. Short BY aM,M,MM MM,

ATTORNEY United States Patent G 3,089,442 TUFTING NIETHGD AND APPARATUS Joe T. Short, West Point, Ga., assigner to international Leasing Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 3, 1962, Ser. No. 192,242 11 Claims. (Cl. i12-79) This invention relates to the making of pile fabric, and more particularly. to a multiple needle tufting machine and method of producing wide yardage goods such as floor covering materials.

Multiple needle tufting machines have been in general use for a number of years. In a typical commercial installation of the type used prior to the present invention, the formation of pile loops or tufts is accomplished through the interaction of needle and looper elements disposed on opposite sides of a backing sheet. Both the needles and the loopers are arranged in long rows extending transversely of the backing sheet and the backing sheet is advanced longitudinally. Each of the needles has an eye near its free end through which a pile yarn is threaded. All of the needles move together toward and away from the backing sheet. As a needle moves towards the `backing sheet, it carries with it a pile yarn and projects or inserts a loop of this pile yarn through the backing sheet, and then the looper element moves into the pile loop to hold the loop as the needle is withdrawn from the backing sheet.

With this type of equipment the maximum loop height that can be produced is determined by the position of the looper elements relative to the backing sheet. However, shorter loops may be formed by various backdrawing techniques in which yarn is withdrawn from loops that have been released by the looper elements. Such techniques had been used extensively in the production of floor covering materials having high-low pattern effects.

Although these known methods and machines will serve to produce a range of commercially acceptable products, many diiliculties have been encountered in actual manufacturing operations. The equipment must be considered as delicate, both from the standpoint ofthe tine adjustments that are required and from the standpoint of the ease and frequency with which many of the parts may be bent or broken. Moreover, production is slower than is desired, and the maintenance of a high degree of product uniformity is difficult. The use of certain otherwise desirable pile yarns, such as texturized multilament nylon, has proved to `be particularly troublesome.

It is a general object of this invention to provide improved tufting methods and apparatus that will overcome these disadvantages. A more spccic object of the invention is to provide new tufting methods for producing yardage goods at higher speeds and with greater reliability than has been possible heretofore and to provide apparatus of simple and Sturdy construction which can be used with facility in carrying out such methods.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pile yarns are inserted through the backing sheet by hollow needles having yarn delivery channels through which air is caused to flow at high velocity. The air streams apply forces to the pile yarns tending to project these yarns from the open ends of the needles, but these forces may be overcome by holding forces applied to the yarn passing to the needles. In the invention these holding forces are applied by suitable yarn delivery means that serve to release to the needles controlled amounts of yarn during each loop forming cycle.

The formation of loops is brought about by moving the hollow needles back and forth so as to periodically project their discharge ends through the backing sheet and then Withdraw the needles from the backing sheet. As a 3,ll89,442 Patented May 14, 1S63 needle enters the backing sheet, the pile yarn is inserted in the form of a loop. Then, as the needle is Withdrawn, the loop is left in the fabric. The amount of yarn supplied to a loop during a loop forming cycle determines the height of the formed loop. and since the air stream will project from the needle all of the yarn that is supplied to the needle by the yarn delivery means, loop height may be controlled by controlling the yarn delivery means.

A more complete understanding of the invention and an awareness of many of its advantages will `he gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing4 in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic transverse cross sectional view of a multiple needle tufting machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 a vertical cross sectional view taken along the line 2 2 in FIGURE 3 and illustrating the hollow needle and the needle carrier assembly for the machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan View of the needle and needle carrier assembly;

PlGURE 4 is an exploded view illustrating in elevation portions of a pair of intermeshing pattern bars of the type used in the yarn feeding means shown in FIGURE l; and

FIGURES 5, 6i l', and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating pile loop forming operations carried out by the nir-chine of FGURE 1.

The frame of the machine includes a base portion 2 and an upper housing unit 4 extending from one side of the machine to the other. Uprights 6 located at the ends of the machine support the upper housing unit 4 in spaced relation to the base portion 2 of the frame, and suitable fabric feeding and guiding means including rollers 8 and 1li advance a backing sheet 12 across the base portion 2 in the zone between the uprights 6 in a conventional manner. The backing sheet 12 ordinarily is a woven jute fabric, but any suitable material may be used.

As the backing sheet l2 is advanced, it moves through a tufting zone where pile loops 14 are inserted therethrough. ln this zone. the `backing sheet l2 is supported from below by a plurality of tine elements 16 secured to the base portion 2 of the machine and it is held against substantial upward movement by a presser member 18 carried by bracket means 2t! secured to the upper housing 4. The presser member l is provided with openings 22 in vertical alignment with the spaces between adjacent ones of the tines i6 and also in vertical alignment with the needles 24 of the machine.

These needles 2liare hollow and are mounted on a needle carrier 2a which is moved down and up cyclicallyr to insert the free lower end portions of the needles 24 into the backing sheet 12 and to withdraw the needles 24 from the backing sheet l2. In the illustrated embodiment, the motion of the needle carrier 26 is a simple reciprocating motion. With this type of needle motion. it is preferred that the advance of the backing sheet 12 be intermittent so that the backing sheet l2 need not move during the portion of the machine cycle when the lower end portions of the needles 24 are inserted into the backing sheet.

The drive for the needle carrier 26 may include an eccentric 28 rotatable with a driven shaft 3l) within a bearing member 32. The bearing member 32 is pivotally connected at 34 to the upper end of a push rod 36 mounted for vertical sliding movement in a bearing member 3S carried by the upper housing unit 4 of tbe rnechine. The lower end of the push rod 36 is connected rigidly to the needle carrier 26 so that the needle carrier 26 will move up and down es the eccentric 28 rotates about thc axis ofthe driven shaft 30.

3 It will be observed from FIGURE l that there are no loopers or looper operating mechanisms beneath the backing sheet 12 in the tufting zone. This represents a signiiicant departure from the machines in general use prior to the present invention. Such looper elements have always been sources of operational difficulties and maintenance expense. They necessitated line adjustments in spacing and timing and they were frequently bent or broken during use. Since the present invention requires no loopers, the machine structure has been greatly simplitied and it is more reliable in operation.

Pile yarns 40 for forming the loops 14 may be supplied from any suitable yarn supply or source, such as a creel, not illustrated. The movements of the pile yarns 40 from the yarn supply toward the needles 24 are controlled so as to make available to the needles predetermined lengths of yarn sufficient for the formation of stitches containing pile loops of the desired heights. A number of different types of means for controlling the yarns in the required manner are known in the art. The particular means chosen for illustration in the drawings as an example is one that can be used in the production of fabrics having pile of the same height throughout or fabrics having patterns of high and low pile.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE l, the pile yarns 40 are positively fed or withdrawn from the yarn source and released in a controlled manner to the needles 24 by a feed mechanism 42 of the notched bar type. This mechanism is well known, and it need not be described in detail here. It will su'ice to point out that the pile yarns are engaged by intermeshing pattern bars 44 and 46 mounted on endless carriers 48 and 50 that are guided through a yarn feeding zone by suitable means 52 and 54, The intermeshing pattern bars 44 and 46 cause the yarns 40 to assume undulating paths as they pass through the feeding zone. As shown in FIGURE 4, the individual pattern bars have notches 56 of varying depths in their edges, so that the lengths of yarn stored in a row of these undulations may be different. When the endless carriers 48 and 50 move a pair of pattern bars 44 and 46 out of the zone of intermeshing, different amounts of yarn may be released to the difterent needles 24 in a manner well understood in the art. In instances where level pile fabrics are desired, the notches in the pattern bars may be of uniform depths or the notches may be omitted entirely.

The invention also requires means for causing liuid to liow through the hollow needles 24 during at least a portion of each machine cycle. It is presently preferred that this requirement be met by continuously supplying air under pressure to the needles, In the illustrated embodiment, a high pressure air source is represented by a tank 56 carried by bracket means 58 attached to an upper portion of the machine framework. A flexible conduit 60 is provided for conducting the air from the source 56 to a fitting 62 on the needle carrier 26.

The interior construction of the needle carrier 26 and the manner in which the air is admitted to the hollow needles 24 is illustrated best in FIGURE 3. The needle carrier 26 is made up of a housing 64 and a removable top wall 66. The housing 64 has bottom, side and end walls, so that when the removable top wall 66 is positioned properly and held in place on the housing 64, as by screw means 68, the interior of the needle carrier 26 provides a large internal air chamber or manifold into which air from the flexible conduit 60 may pass through the litting 62.

Each needle 24 may be a unitary body, or it may be made up of a plurality of parts that are either connected together or are connected to the needle carrier 26 in such a way as to fix their positions relative to one another. The needle 24 shown in FlGURE 3 is made up of a tip 70 and a shank or body 72 soldered together.

The tip portion 70 of each needle 24 is a cylindrical tube and its lower end is cut away at an acute angle to the axis of the tube so as to provide a point 74 and a tapered wall 76. In this embodiment, the angle at which the lower end of the needle tip is cut away causes the outlet opening at the lower end of the hollow needle 24 to face downwardly and forwardly in the direction of the advance of the backing sheet 12.

The body 72 of each of the needles 24 is also tubular and has an axial opening therein communicating with the axial opening in the tip 70 to provide a ow channel or passageway through the needle.

Downwardly inclined openings 78 in the wall of the needle body 72 provide orifice means through which air may enter the needle passageway. As air moves from the high pressure chamber formed by the interior of the needle carrier 26 through the restricted orifice means 78, its pressure decreases and its velocity increases so that the air issues from the orifice means 78 in jet form.

It is preferred that the orifice means 78 be such as to reduce the pressure of the air below atmospheric pressure at the outlet of the orifice means. With this arrangement an additional draft of air downwardly through the open upper end 80 of the axial opening in the body 72 is induced.

It will be observed that the internal passageway through the needle 24 shown in cross section in FIGURE 2 includes portions of three different diameters. The yarn inlet portion 82 is of small diameter, the outlet portion 84 is of larger diameter, and an intermediate portion 86 is of still larger diameter. Although this relationship is not essential, it is believed to `have some advantages. The small cross section of the inlet portion 82 minimizes air tiow through this portion when the pile yarn 40 has been threaded through the needle, and the enlarged portion 86 provides a zone where the lair tiow patterns may be stabilized somewhat.

Air flows at high velocity through the outlet portion 84 of the passageway from the portion 86 and out of the outlet opening at the lower end of the needle'. When a yarn 40 is threaded through the needle 24, this high velocity air stream applies forces to the pontion of the yarn located within and beyond the needle urging these portions downwardly. As a length of yarn is released by the yarn feeding means 42, it will be fed downwardly through the needle 24 and projected from the lower end thereof.

The body 72 of each needle 24 fits within a circular recess 88 in the bottom Wall of the housing 64 and rests against a shoulder 90 at the lower end of the recess. The upper end of the needle body 72 passes through an opening 92 in the t-op wall 66 of the needle carrier 26 and is held against upward movement by a plate member 96 detachably secured, as by screws 97, to the top wall 66. A shoulder 98 on the needle body bears against the under side of `the member 96. Suitable seals, such as O-rings, should be provided to prevent the escape of air from the interior of the needle carrier in the zones where the needles pass through the walls thereof.

As shown best in FIGURE 2, the portion of the needle body 72 that is cut away to provide the shoulder 98 also provides a straight vertical surface 100 that may cooperate with a corresponding vertical surface on the member 96 to assure proper angular orientation of the needle 24.

FIGURE 2 also illustrates the relationship of the needles 24 to each other. In the illustrated embodiment there are three rows 102, 104, and 106 spaced from each other in the direction of the advance of the backing sheet 12 with each extending across the full width of the machine. The needles 24 in the different rows are staggered with respect to each other, so that the `axis of a needle in the row 104 and the axis of a needle in the row 106 is located between the axes of adjacent needles in the row 102. With this arrangement, it is possible to produce pile fabric in which the transverse spacing between longitudinal rows of loops is quite small. In this connection, it should be noted that the number of rows of needles that may be employed effectively in the machine of this invention is greater than the number that can be employed in a machine having conventional looper elements beneath the backing sheet.

Attention now will be directed to FIGURES 5 through 8 which illustrate diagrammatically the relative positions of the backing sheet 12, a needle 24 and a pile yarn 4i) during portions of two successive cycles of machine operation. In all of these views the backing sheet 12 is shown as having thereon a long or high loop 14a and a short or low loop 14b formed during earlier cycles of machine operation. FIGURES 5 and 6 then depict operations that take place during a cycle when a low loop 14C is being formed, and FIGURES 7 and 8 depict operations that take place during a cycle when a high loop 14d is being formed.

FIGURE 5 illustraties the relative positions of the elements when `the needle 24 has reached its lowermost position. In m-oving to this position, the point 74 of the needle would have first penetrated the backing sheet 12 and then the opening so formed would have been enlarged by the passage through the backing sheet of the tapered edge 76 of the lower end of the needle 24. Of course, enlargement of the opening in the backing fabric to a size suficienlt to permit it to receive the full diameter of the tip pontion of the needle 24 results in some cornpression of adjacent portions of the backing strip 12, as indicated at 108.

The downward movement of the needle 24 need continue only far enough to expose the ourlet opening at the lower end of the needle beneath the backing sheet l2. The actual feeding of pile yam 40 into the loop 14e being formed is accomplished by the air stream flowing out of the needle 24. In this connection, it is noted that the feed of yarn 40 into the loop 14C may be substantially independent of the movement of the needle 24. In PIG- URE 5, for example, Vthe height of the loop 14e is substantially greater than that required for the loop to pass loosely around the leading edge of the outlet opening in the needle 24 but is less than the final height that will be assumed by this loop, even though the needle is at its lowermost position in this view.

As the needle 24 moves upwardly from the position shown in FIGURE 5 to the position shown in FIGURE 6, the air stream continues to feed yarn into the loop 14e. The feeding of yarn into the loop 14e may continue even after the tip 76 of the needle 24 has moved to a position above the backing sheet 12 to fill out this loop and give it its final height. All of the yarn 40 made available to the needle 24 during the cycle will be fed out of the needle during that cycle, and the height of the loop 14C is related directly to the amount of yarn released by the yarn feeding means 42 during the cycle.

The resiliency of the backing sheet material causes the ope-ning formed by the needle 24 to close substantially when the needle 24 is withdrawn. An additional closing action is brought about during the succeeding cycle so that, in the final product, the llegs of the loops are held firmly Iby the backing sheet material.

It will be observed that the total excursion of the needles 24 from their highest points to their lowermost points may be quite small. This makes it possible to operate the machine satisfactorily at speeds higher than the speeds of the machines known heretofore.

FiGURE 7 illustrates the needle 24 in its lowermost position ou the next cycle. This view is similar to FIG1 URE 5, but it `will be observed that a greater amount of pile yarn 40 has been fed into the loop 14d than had been fed into the loop 14e during this portion of the preceding cycle.

FIGURE 8 is similar to FIGURE 6. lt shows the elements at a time when enough yarn has been fed into the loop 14d to give it its final size.

From FIGURES 5 through 8, it will be evident that the formation of high-low loop patterns in accordance with the present invention does not depend upon the use of backdrawing techniques. With this type of operation each loop is projected by the air stream to its nal size.

Although no backdrawing of pile yarn need take place, many of the advantages of the invention may be realized when the operation is set up to effect some backdrawing. For example, if the amount of yarn released to a needle during the down stroke of the needle is substantially less than that required to give the loop being formed a size large enough to permit it to extend loosely about the leading edge of the outlet opening in the needle, some yarn may be drawn back from the preceding loop. However, since this backdrawing is not relied upon for the production of pattern effects it need not be so great as to produce severe tension in the pile yarn, and many of the difficulties heretofore experienced in connection with the backdrawing of thread from previously formed loops are not encountered.

Similarly, if the machine of this invention is set up to effect backdrawing of the yarn from the loop being formed, as by the insertion of a conventional yarn jerker in the yarn path from the yarn feeding means to the yarn inlet opening of the hollow needle, the loop forming operation may still be carried out without experiencing the difficulties that have been characteristic of this type of backdrawing operation as carried out in the past. Since the air streams maintain the yarns under tension at all times, there is no danger that slack in the yarns passing to the needles will cause these yarns to become entangled with each other.

The low and relatively constant tension applied to the pile yarns makes it possible to produce fabric having better uniformity and enhanced pattern definition characteristics. Even the highly elastic filament nylon yarns that have been so difficult to handle with the apparatus used heretofore may be processed with ease.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, various modifications and changes will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is intended therefore that the foregoing description be considered as exemplary only, and the scope of the invention be ascertained from the following claims.

I claim:

l. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a iiuid passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening, means for moving said needle r carrier cyclically back and forth to insert the free end portions of said needles through the backing sheet far enough to expose their outlet openings on the opposite side of the backing sheet and then to withdraw said needles from the backing sheet, means for positively feeding along paths leading to the yarn inlet openings of said needles controlled lengths of yarn suihcient for the formation of stitches containing pile loops, and means for flowing fluid through said uid passageways and out of said outlet openings in said needles to move said lengths of yarn relative to said backing sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loops extending from said backing sheet to heights related to the lengths of yarn fed by said feeding means.

2. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a back sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a longitudinally extending duid passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening for receiving a yarn leading from a yarn supply, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically back and forth to insert the free end portions of said needles through the backing sheet far enough to expose their outlet openings on the opposite side of the backing sheet and then to withdraw said needles from the backing sheet, means for positively withdrawing from the yarn supply and releasing to the yarn inlet openings of said needles during each cycle of movement of said needle carrier predetermined lengths of yarn sufficient for the formation of stitches containing permanent pile loops, and means for flowing uid through said fluid passageways and out of said outlet openings in said needles substantially throughout the periods during which said outlet openings are exposed on said opposite side of said backing sheet to move said predetermined lengths f yarn relative to said backing sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loops extending from said opposite side of said backing sheet to heights related to the lengths of yarn released to the yarn inlet openings of said needles.

3. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a uid passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion facing forwardly in the direction of advance of the backing sheet and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening for receiving a yarn leading from a yarn supply, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically back and forth to insert the free end portions of said needles through the backing sheet far enough to expose their outlet openings on the opposite side of the backing sheet and then to withdraw said needles from the backing sheet, means for controlling the movements of the yarns from the yarn supply toward the yarn inlet openings in said needles to make available to the yarn inlet openings of said needles predetermined lengths of yarn sutlicient for the formation of stitches containing permanent pile loops, and means for owing fluid through said fluid passageways and out of said outlet openings in said needles to move said lengths of yarn relative to said backing -sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loops extending from said backing sheet to heights related to the lengths of yarn made available to said needles.

4. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a fluid passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening for receiving a yarn leading from a yarn supply, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically back and forth to insert the free end portions of said needles through the backing sheet far enough to expose their outlet openings on the opposite side of the backing sheet and then to withdraw said needles from the backing sheet, means for positively withdrawing from the yarn supply and releasing to the yarn inlet openings of said needles during each cycle of movement of said needle carrier predetermined lengths of yarn suflicient for the formation of stitches containing pile loops with the lengths released to different needles during one cycle being diierent and the lengths released to the same needle in different cycles being different, and means for flowing fluid through said Huid passageways and out of said outlet openings in said needles when said outlet openings are exposed on said opposite side of said backing sheet to move said lengths of yarn relative to said backing sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loops extending from said opposite side of said backing sheet to different heights related to the different lengths of yarn released to the yarn inlet openings of said needles.

5. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a longitudinally extending fluid passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically back and forth to insert the free ends of said needles through the backing sheet far enough to expose their outlet openings on the opposite side of the backing sheet and then to withdraw said needles from the backing sheet, feed means including a pair of endless carriers having intermeshing pattern bars thereon for supporting a plurality of yarns in undulating paths and means for advancing said carriers to release to the yarn inlet openings of said needles during each cycle of movement of said needle carrier predetermined lengths of yarn sutiicient for the formation of stitches containing pile loops, and means for flowing fluid through said fluid passageways and out of said outlet openings in said needles to move said predetermined lengths of yarn relative to said backing sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loops extending from said backing sheet.

6. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a longitudinally extending fluid passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening for receiving a yarn leading from a yarn supply, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically back and forth along a path at one end of which the free end of each needle is located between the needle carrier and the backing sheet and at the other end of which each needle penetrates the backing sheet to expose the outlet opening thereof on the side of the backing sheet opposite said needle carrier, means for controlling the movements of the yarns from the yarn supply toward the yarn inlet openings in said needles to make available to the inlet opening of each needle during each cycle of movement of said needle carrier a predetermined length of yarn greater than the distance said backing sheet is advanced between successive ones of the points where said needle penetrates said backing sheet plus twice the minimum distance of penetration through the backing sheet of the edge of the outlet opening of said needle, and means for owing iluid through said uid passageways and out of said outlet openings in said needles to move said predetermined lengths of yarn relative to said backing sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loops extending from said backing sheet to heights related to the lengths of yarn made available to said needles.

7. A multiple needle tufting machine as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for controlling the movements of the yarns includes means for making available different predetermined lengths of yarn to different ones of said needles during a given cycle of movement of said needle carrier and for making available to each of at least some of said needles different predetermined lengths of yarn during dierent cycles of movement of said needle carrier.

8. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending across said path, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a longitudinally extending air passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening spaced from said outlet opening, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically hack and forth along a path at one end of `which the free end of each needle is located between the needle carrier and the hacking sheet and at the other end of which each needle penetrates the hacking sheet to expose the outlet opening thereof on the side of the backing sheet opposite said needle carrier, patterning means for positively feeding along a path leading to the inlet opening of each needle during each cycle of movement of said needle carrier a controlled length of yarn sufcient for the formation of a stitch including a pile loop, and means for admitting to said passageways jets f air directed toward said outlet openings to impel said lengths of yarn relative to said backing sheet out of said outlet openings and away from said needles to form a pile fabric having pile loop extending from said backing sheet.

9. A multiple needle tufting machine comprising means for advancing a backing sheet along a path, a needle carrier extending transversely of said path and having a high pressure air chamber therein, a plurality of hollow needles mounted on and extending through said needle carrier and each having a free end portion projecting toward the backing sheet, each of said needles having a longitudinally extending passageway therein terminating in an outlet opening in said free end portion of the needle and having a yarn inlet opening at the end thereof opposite said outlet opening, means for moving said needle carrier cyclically back and forth to insert the free ends of said needles through the backing sheet far enough to expose said outlet openings on the opposite side of the backing sheet and then to withdraw said needles from the backing sheet, and means for positively feeding along paths leading to the yarn inlet openings of said needles during each cycle of movement of said needle carrier controlled lengths of yarn sufficient for the formation of stitches containing permanent pile loops, each of said needles having at least one inclined orilice therein communicating at one end with said passageway in the needle and at the opposite end with said air chamber for directing a jet of air along said passageway toward said outlet opening in said needle to impel yarn relative to Said backing sheet out of said outlet opening and away from said needle.

10. A method of making tufted fabric having longitudinal and transverse rows of pile loops extending from a hacking sheet comprising a cycle including the steps of advancing the backing sheet longitudinally, forming a transverse row of openings in said backing sheet and simultaneously inserting portions of a plurality of pile yarns through said openings to provide pile loops on one side of said backing sheet each having a leg extending through one of said openings back toward a yarn supply, positively feeding from said supply additional lengths of pile yarn and simultaneously applying to said legs air streams flowing through said openings toward said loops to impel additional lengths of yarn into said loops to enlarge said loops.

1l. A method of making patterned tufted fabric having longitudinal and transverse rows of pile loops of dilerent heights extending from a backing sheet comprising a cycle including the steps of advancing the backing sheet longitudinally, forming a transverse row of openings in said backing sheet and simultaneously inserting portions of a plurality of pile yarns through said openings to provide pile loops on one side of said backing sheet each having a leg extending through one of said openings hack toward a yarn supply, positively feeding from said supply additional lengths of pile yarn and simultaneously applying to said legs air streams owing through said openings toward said loops to impel additional lengths of yarn into said loops to enlarge said loops, said cycle being repeated indenitely while feeding dilferent lengths of yarn to at least some of said air streams during different cycles.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,830,463 Foster et al Nov. 3, 1931 2,422,126 Parker June 10, 1947 2,599,226 Briern June 3, 1952 2,932,339 Odenweller Apr. l2, 1960 

1. A MULTIPLE NEDDLE TUFTING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ADVANCING A BACKING SHEET ALONG A PATH, A NEEDLE CARRIER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID PATH, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW NEEDLES MOUNTED ON SAID NEEDLE CARRIER AND EACH HAVING A FREE END PORTION PROJECTING TOWARD THE BACKING SHEET, EACH OF SAID NEEDLES HAVING A FLUID PASSAGEWAY THEREIN TERMINATING IN AN OUTLET OPENING IN SAID FREE END PORTION OF THE NEEDLE AND HAVING A YARN INLET OPENING SPACED FROM SAID OUTLET OPENING, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID NEEDLE CARRIER CYCLICALLY BACK AND FORTH TO INSERT THE FREE END PORTIONS OF SAID NEEDLES THROUGH THE BACKING SHEET FAR ENOUGH TO EXPOSE THEIR OUTLET OPENINGS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BACKING SHEET AND THEN TO WITHDRAW SAID NEEDLES FROM THE BACKING SHEET, MEANS FOR POSITIVELY FEEDING ALONG PATHS LEADING TO THE YARN INLET OPENINGS OF SAID NEEDLES CONTROLLED LENGTHS OF YARN SUFFICIENT FOR THE FORMATION OF STITCHES CONTAINING PILE LOOPS, AND MEANS FOR FLOWING FLUID THROUGH SAID FLUID PASSAGEWAYS AND OUT OF SAID OUTLET OPENINGS IN SAID NEEDLES TO MOVE SAID LENGTHS OF YARN RELATIVE TO SAID BACKING SHEET OUT OF SAID OUTLET OPENINGS AND AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLES TO FORM A PILE FABRIC HAVING PILE LOOPS EXTENDING FROM SAID BACKING SHEET TO HEIGHTS RELATED TO THE LENGTHS OF YARN FED BY SAID FEEDING MEANS. 